Machine for grinding lenses.



Pate'nted Ian. l4,- I902."

F. a. wlfsou. MACHINE FOB GRINDING LENSES.

(Application filed Feb. 9, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(Nq Model.)

WITNESSES qrrokNE s.

No. 69l, 225.

F. 6. WILSON. 4 MACHINE FOB GRINDING LENSES.

Patented Ian. M, I902.

(Application filed Feb. 9, 1901. V

(No Model.)

INVENTOR n 1 BY z 0 Z ATTORNEYS.

' WIINESSES:

No; 69I,225. Patented lan. l4, I902.

F. 1;. WILSON.

MACHINE FOR GRINDING LENSES.

(Application filed Feb..9, 180).) I (No Model.) 3 Sheot swShee! 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK G. WILSON, OF ITHACA, NEWV YORK.

MACHINE FOR GRINDING LENSES.

ElEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,22 5, dated January14, 1902.

Application filed February 9, 1901. Serial No. 46,657- (No model- To aZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. WILsoN, of Ithaca, in the county ofTompkins, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Grinding Lenses, of which the following,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for grinding lenses,the object being to produce a simple and compact device whereby thelenses may be automatically, neatly, and uniformly ground to any desiredstandard, form, or size.

The further object of this invention is to provide means whereby thelens-supporting carriage may be reciprocated along the surface of asuitable grindstone for maintaining a uniform grinding-surface upon saidstone or other grinding device.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a simple andpractical means for operating the revolnble parts of my invention orimpeding the movement of said revoluble parts when desired; and afurther object of my invention is to provide a suitable device forvarying the size of the lens during the process of grinding the same.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, andarrangements of the component parts of a lens-grinding machine, ashereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a frontelevation and a top plan of my invention. nal vertical section taken online 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end sectional view taken on line 4 4,Fig. 2. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are sectional views taken, respectively, onlines 5 5 and 6 6, Fig. 1, and 7 7, Fig. 3, and 8 8, Fig. 2. Fig. 9 isan end view of the parts seen in Fig. 8. Fig.,10 is a detail elevationof one of the clamping-jaws and the lens-centering device mountedthereon. Fig. ll-is an isometric view of the detached lens-centeringdevice.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

. This invention consists, essentially, of a supporting-frame A, arevoluble shaft B,

lens-carriage O, a revoluble lens-clamping head D, means forreciprocating the carriage Fig. 3 is a longitudi C lengthwise of theshaft B, and additional means for regulating the size of the lens duringthe process of grinding.

The frame A may be of any desired form, size, or construction andpreferably consists of a base-plate having separated upright standards Aand upright brackets a. a. The standards A are provided with suitablebearings 1 for receiving the revoluble shaft B, and the bracket agenerally consists of a boss formed upon the base of the frame A, and aplate 2, secured to said boss by a suitable screw or other fasteningmeans 3 and provided with an upright slot 4, extending downwardly fromits upper end face, said slotted plate forming a portion of the meansfor reciprocating the lens-carriage along the revoluble shaftB.' Thebracket a is secured to the base-plate of the frame' A, preferablybetween the upright standards A and in proximity to one end of thecarriage O, and is generally provided with a threaded aperture at itsupper end for receiving a suitable adjusting-screw'o, which forms a partof the device for sizing the lenses.

The revoluble shaft B is revolubly mounted in the bearings 1, one end ofsaid shaft being provided with collars 6, adapted to engage the oppositefaces of one of the standards A, and the other end of said shaft extendsbeyond the other standard and is provided with a keyway 7 and a clutchmember or collar 8, which is preferably secured to said shaft at one endof the carriage C. This shaft is also provided with a wearing-sleeve 9,havingits inner end provided with annular shoulders 10, the clutchmember 8 being secured to the outer end of said sleeve and shaft by asuitable set-screw ll. Inter-posed between the clutch member 8 and theshoulder 10 is a pulley 12, journaled on the intermediate portion ofthesleeve 9 and provided with one or more apertures extending inwardlyfrom its outer end face. The clutch member 8, as previously stated, issecured to the outer end of the sleeve 9 and is provided with a socket13, in which is movable aplunger 14, having its inner end adapted toenter the recesses or apertures in the end face of the pulley 12 forlocking said pulley to the clutch member 8. Any desired means may beemployed for moving this plunger into The pulley 12 may be connected toany desired source of power, but is usually conv member 16 is movedlaterally into engage-- nected to mechanism (not illustrated) forrotating the grinding-Wheel seen in dotted lines in'Fig. 4, a portion ofwhich is shown by full lines in Fig. 1. This pulley 12 is looselymounted upon the sleeve 9 and is provided with a grooved periphery forreceiving a suitable belt connected, as previously mentioned, forrotating said pulley continuously in one direction.

When desired to rotate the shaft B, the handpiece 16 is moved to theposition seen in Figs. 1, 3, 8, and 9, and when it is desired to preventthe rotation of the shaft B the ment with one of the cam-faces 17,whereupon the inner end of the plunger is withdrawn from the aperture inthe pulley 12, and said pulley is free to rotate independently of theshaft. The carriage 0 may also be of any desired form or size, isadapted to rock toward and away from the grinding-wheel previouslymentioned, and preferably consists of a rocking frame pivotally mountedupon the shaft B and provided at its upper end with separated bearings18 and 19 for receiving and supporting the revoluble clamping-head D,previously mentioned.

The bearing 19 generally consists of a hol- 'low hub having an externalor peripheral bearing-face for receiving one of the clamping jaws orplates and an inner bearing for receiving a spindle 20, which isprovided with plates, and the other end is adapted to be engaged by anadjusting-screw 21, movable ina threaded bushing 22, for forcing theadjacent clamping-plate toward the other clamping plate.

The clamping member D consists of oppositely-arranged jaws or plates atat, one of which, d, is journaled on the periphery of the bearing 19,and the other clamping-plate d is mounted on a spindle or shaft 23,which is journaled on the bearing 18, extends beyond said bearing, andis provided with a gear 24-, meshing with a pinion 25,presentlyldescribed. The shaft 23 is also provided with a suitablelens-form 26, which is detachably secured to said shaft and is adaptedto engage a suitable contact-plate of the sizing device previouslymentioned; These lens-forms are usually of dilferent standard shapes andserve to determine the shape of the lens, as D, during the process ofgrinding. In order that the lens D may be securely held in positionwithout liability of fracturing or injuring the glass, I usuallyinterpose suitable flexible pads 27 between the opposite faces of thelenses and the adjacent faces of the plates 61 d. The means forcentering the lenses when being inserted between the plates 01 dconsists of a plate 28, having a slot 29, extending inwardly from one ofits peripheral edges,the inner end wall 30 of said slot beingsemicircular in form and serving as a suitable stop for engaging theperipheral face of one of the clamping-plates, as the hub of the plated, for limiting the transverse movement of said centering-plate. Thiscontering-plate is provided with a series of laterallyprojectingshoulders 31, having inclined faces 32, inclining inwardly toward thecenter from their outer peripheral faces and arranged substantiallyconcentric with the bearing-face 30, so that when the slot of thecentering-plate is alined with the hub of the clamping-plate d and movedtransversely to the limit of its movement the inclined faces 32 will besubstantially concentric with the axis of movement of clam ping-heads.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that when thiscentering-plate is placed in operative position and the lens centeredtherewith the lens-centering plate may be readily alined with thelens-form 26, and, if desired, one or the other of the clampingplatesmay be provided with a flattened portion or guide for receiving thecenteringplate 28, so that the lens and the centeringplate may bereadily and mechanically alined with the lens-form.

The means for reciprocating the lens-carriage C- along the shaft Bpreferably consists of a sleeve B, feathered on the shaft B and havingits inner end provided with a collar 33 and its outer end provided witha Worm 34 and a yoke 35, which is arranged to support a suitableworm-gear 36, meshing with the worm 34,:said worm-gear being providedwith an eccentric shoulder 37, movable in the slot 4 of the bracket orplate 2. The pinion 25, previously mentioned, is also mounted upon thesleeve B, said pinion 25 and thecollar 33 being arranged on oppositesides of one of the upright walls of the carriage G for effecting thereciprocal movement of the said carriage as the gear 36 is rotated.

It is evident from the foregoing description that the revoluble shaft Brotates the sleeve B and the worm 34, and thereby rotates the worm 36,and that the pin 37, being arranged at one side of theaxis of the gear36, engages the walls of the slot 4, and thereby moves the sleeve andcarriage back and 'forth along the shaft'B. This is a particularlysimple and effective means of reciprocating the carriage and, causes aslittle vibration or jar to the machine as-possible, being adapted toeifect a steady and uniform reciprocal movement of said carriage even atthe limits of its movement.

The means for sizing the lenses during the process of grinding, as seenin the drawings, consists of a rock-lever 38, pivotally connected at 39to the frame Aand having its upper end provided with a contact-plate40,arranged to be engaged by the periphery of the lensform 26, and itsother end provided with a rotary Sizer-plate 41, having a series ofsurfaces 42, projecting unequal distances from said plate-and adapted tobe engaged by the adjusting-screw 5 of the bracket at. These sur facesare so arranged that by rotating the plate 41 one or the other of saidsurfaces may be brought into alinement with the screw 5, thereby varyingthe position of the contactsurface of the plate 40 with relation to theaxis of movement of the lens-form 26. These surfaces are usuallynumbered or designated by characters corresponding with the numbers ofcharacters distinguishing the various sizes of lenses one from theother, and when desired to grind a lens to a predetermined or certainstandard size the adj Listing-screw may be rotated against the plate 41for rocking the arm or lever 38 and forcing the contactplate 40 towardor away from the axis of the lens-form, or, what is preferable, one ofthe surfaces 42 of the plate 41, corresponding to the desired size oflens, is rotated into alinement with the adjusting-screw 5. Thecontact-plate 40 is usually mounted on a pivotal pin 43 and is providedwith a split hub 44 and a clamping-screw 45 for permitting saidcontact-plate to be adjusted at any angle to conform with the differentpositions of the lever 38 for causing a substantially radial contactbetween the lens and the surface of the grinding-wheel.

The carriage O is adapted to rock the lensform into and out of contactwith the plate 40 on opposite sides of a line drawn vertically throughthe axis of its movement, whereby the said carriage is normally held byits own gravity either in its operative or inoperative position. Inorder to further insure the holding of said carriage in either of saidpositions, I provide the same with a shoulder 46, which is adapted torock with said carriage on opposite sides of a line drawn horizontallythrough the axis of the carriage and adapted to engage a spring 47,having its lower end secured to the base of the frame A, it beingunderstood that as the carriage is rocked into and out of its operativepositions said spring will engage the opposite upper and lower faces ofsaid shoulder and additionally hold the carriage from undue rockingmovement.

The collar 33 of the sleeve 32 is preferably split and is provided witha suit-able key movable in the keyway 7 of the shaft B and with aclamping-screw for firmly securing the collar to the inner end of thesleeve 32.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When desired to rotate thelens-clamping head, the clutch member 16 is moved to the desiredposition for locking the pulley 12 to the shaft ]3, whereupon said shaftis rotated and transmits motion through the gears 24 and 25 to the shaftor spindle 23, thereby rotating the lens which is clamped between theplates d d, the plate cl being simultaneously rotated upon the points ofthe spindle 20. The carriage-is then moved carefully toward thegrindstone or other grinding device and the lens is rotated against thesurface of said grinding-wheel and is simultaneously reciprocatedlengthwise of the shaft B by the wheel 36 and pin 37 coacting with theslotted bracket a. The grinding of the lens continues as long as thelens is of greater size than that desired, and as soon as any portion ofthe lens has been ground to the size required said lens-form willcontact with the plate 40 and preventfurther grinding at that particularplace. Therefore it is apparent that the lens will be ground to the sameform as the form 26 and that various sizes of lenses may be ground bychanging the position of the contact-plate through the means of therevoluble Sizer-plate 41 and adjusting-screw 5.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood uponreference to the foregoingdescription and the accompanying drawings, andit will be noted that considerable change may be made in the detailconstruction and arrangement of the parts of my invention withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof. Therefore I do not limit myself tothe precise construction as is shown and described, and it will be notedthat the surface of the plate 40 is turned to' the same radius as thatof the grinding-wheel, so that when the lens is resting against thegrinding-Wheel I their respective radii are substantially coincident.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a lens-grinding machine, a former and sizer having a movableSizer-plate provided with a series of surfaces fixed to the plate andprojecting unequal distances therefrom.

2. In a lens-grinding machine, a former and sizer having arevolubleSizer-plate provided with a series of surfaces of unequal projection forthe purpose described.

3. In a lens-grinding machine, the combination with a revolublelens-support having a lens-form, a contact-plate, and an adjusting-screwfor varying the position of the contact-plate relative to the axis ofthe former, said contactplate having an independent movement forchanging the point of contact with the periphery of the lens-form.

4. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support having alens-form, a contact-plate, and a revoluble sizer-plate having a seriesof surfaces of unequal projection for varying the position of thecontact-plate with relation to the lens-form.

5. In a lens-grinding machine, the combination with a revolublelens-support having a lens-form, of a rock-arm provided with acontact-face, means for varying the point of contact of said face withthe lens-form, and an adjusting-screw for moving said arm for thepurpose described.

6. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support, alens-form, a rockarm havinga contact-surface for engaging thelens-form,and means for rocking said arm for moving the contact-surfacestep by step toward or away from the axis of the lens-form.

7. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support, alens-form, a rockarm havinga contact-surface for engaging the lens-form,and a movable sizer-plate having unequally-projecting surfaces operatingin conjunction with a shoulder for rocking said arm for the purposedescribed.

8. The combination with a rotary lens-support in a lens-grindingmachine, of a lensform revoluble with the support, a rock-arm providedwith contact-surface and. sizer-surfaces of unequal projection, and astop-shoulder for engaging the Sizer-surfaces for the purpose specified.

9. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support having alens-form, a contact-plate, a Sizer-plate connected to the contact-plateand provided with a series of unequal projections, anda stop forengaging said projections.

10. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support having alens-form, a contact-plate, a Sizer-plate connected to the contact-plateand provided with a series of unequal projections, and an adjustablestop for engaging said projections.

11. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support having alens-form, a rocking lever having one end provided With an adjustablecontactsurface for engaging the lens-form at different points on itsperiphery, and an adjustable stop for engaging the opposite end of thelever for moving the contact-surface toward and away from the axis ofthe lens-form.

12. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support having alens-form, a rocking lever having one end provided with acontact-surface for engaging the lens-form, a movable Sizer-platemounted on the other end of the lever and provided with a series ofsurfaces of unequal projection, and a stop for engaging said surfaces.

13. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support having alens-form, a rocking lever having one end provided with a pivotedcontact-plate for engaging the periphery of the lens-former atdifferentpoints, and an adjusting-screw for controlling the position of therock-lever.

14. A lens-grinding machine comprising a revoluble lens-support having alens-form, a rocking lever having one end provided with an adjustablecontact plate for the lensformer, a revoluble sizer-plate mounted on theopposite end of the lever and provided with a series of surfaces ofunequal projection, and

an adj usting-screw for engaging said surfaces for the purposedescribed.

15. A lens-clamp for lens-grinding machines comprising asupporting-frame having a revolving face-plate, a second plate revolublymounted on the frame, an adjusting-screw, and a conical-ended spindleinterposed be tween the second plate and the screw for the purposedescribed.

16. Alens-clampforlens-grinding machines comprising a'supporting-framehaving separated bearings, a revolving shaft journaled in one of thebearings and provided with a face-plate, a second plate journaled in theframe and movable toward and away from the former plate, anadjusting-screw, and a spindle mounted in the other bearing and providedwith tapering ends engaged respectively with the adjacent faces of saidsecond plate and screw for the purpose described.

17. A lens-grinding machine comprising a rocking support having arevoluble lensclamp, and a projecting shoulder movable in planes aboveand beneath its axis of movement, and a spring for engaging oppositefaces of said shoulder for the purpose specified.

18. In a lens-grinding machine, the combination with a frame, arevoluble shaft, a sleeve feathered on the shaft and movable lengthwisethereof, a carriage actuated by the sleeve and provided with a rotarylens-clamp actuated by the shaft, a fixed engaging member, and meanscarried by the sleeve and coacting with the fixed member forreciprocating the sleeve and carriage.

19. In a lens-grinding machine, the herein.- described means ofreciprocating the lenscarriage comprising a fixed member having anelongated slot, a revoluble shaft, a sleeve feathered on the shaft andconnected to the carriage, gears mounted on the sleeve and rotatedthereby, one of said gears being provided with a shoulder and engagedWith the walls of the slot for the purpose set forth.

20. In a lens-grinding machine, the hereindescribed means forreciprocating the lenscarriage comprising a fixed member having i anelongated slot, a revoluble shaft, a sleeve feathered on the shaft andconnected to the carriage, a worm secured to the sleeve, ayoke mountedon the sleeve, a gear mounted on the yoke and meshing with said worm,said gear being provided with an eccentric shoulder movable in said slotfor the purpose set forth.

21. The co nbination with a rotary lens clamp and form of alens-grinding machine, of a centering device for the lens consisting ofa plate having a stop-face and lateral inclined faces concentric withthe axis of the stop-face for the purpose described.

22. The combination with a rotary lens clamp and form of a lens-grindingmachine, of a centering device for the lens consisting of a plate havingan open-ended slot for receiving one of the revoluble members adjacentto the lens-clamp,said plate being formed with a series of inclinedfaces concentric with the axis of the plate for receiving and centeringthe lens when being inserted between the clamping members.

23. A lens-grinding machine, comprising a supporting-frame, a revolubleshaft provided with a loose pulley and' a clutch for locking the pulleyto the shaft, a carriage supported by the shaft and having reciprocaland oscillatory movements, a sleeve feathered on the shaft and connectedto the carriage, a pinion and worrn secured to the sleeve, a lens-clampjournaled on the carriage and provided with a lens-form, a contact-platemounted on the frame for engaging the lens-form, a revoluble FRANK G.WILSON.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, MILDRED M. NOTT.

